Carville: Losing Health Care Debate Would Benefit Democrats

James Carville

Newscast Media HOUSTON, Texas—Democratic strategist James Carville was one of the architects of Bill Clinton’s victory in 1992 and has played a key role in party politics for the last 20 years. Now Carville is saying if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns parts of Obamacare, the Democrats may well benefit in the November elections.

“I think that this will be the best thing that ever happened to the Democratic Party because health care costs are gonna escalate unbelievably,” said Carville Tuesday on CNN’s Situation Room. “I honestly believe this, this is not spin.”

Carville was referring to the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act that came under scrutiny this week when Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments on the provision that mandates that individuals buy health care insurance.

“You know what the Democrats are going to say, and it is completely justified, ‘We tried, we did something, go see a 5-4 Supreme Court majority.’ Then the Republican Party will own the health care system for the foreseeable future.”

Erik Erikson of RedState.com took issue with Carville’s comments by saying if the Supreme Court overruled parts of the act that they would be speaking on behalf of millions who don’t agree with the rigorous mandates.

“Both sides, not just the Democrat side, even if the laws were upheld or struck down, there is a 5-4 conservative majority, and historically you see Republicans picking justices who have a greater propensity to gravitate to the left than you see Democrat judges propensity to gravitate to the right,” said Erikson in response to Carville. “This will be an undercurrent issue for both sides, though.”

The Supreme Court will most likely decide the issue sometime this summer as lower courts have both upheld and struck down President Obama’s prized health care plan.